Photos: Colorado Civil Unions

Hundreds of Colorado gay and lesbian couples put an official government seal on their relationships in the early hours of Wednesday morning, after the state's civil-unions law took effect.

Shortly after midnight, whoops and cheers rang off the glassy interior of Denver's Wellington E. Webb Building and then again and again when each new set of 10 numbers flashed on a television monitor near the Clerk and Record's office, summoning the next in line to come apply for a license. With paperwork in hand, the couples returned to the atrium to exchange vows.

The couples gushed over their opportunity to hold the first piece of government acknowledgment of their relationships, granting them many of the same rights as married couples.

Led by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, Anna and Fran Simon are the first couple to take part in a civil union ceremony at the Webb Building in Denver, Colo., on May 1, 2013. (Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post)

The group represented a wide palette of ages and races, some in formal attire, some in jeans and T-shirts.

"Other people get to say fiancee and wife, and all we can say is girlfriend or partner," said Sarah Mutter, who made her commitment a government affair Tuesday night with her mate of four years, Isabel Aguirre.

Aguirre added, "This is a big step — for us to be taken as legally accepted."

Mayor Michael Hancock performed many of the first ceremonies, along with U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Denver, municipal judges and religious officiants at multiple stations to move through the crowd in the early morning hours.

Fran and Anna Simon, who have campaigned for same-sex marriage and civil unions for years, were the first in Denver to get a license and the first to have a ceremony.

Shutters snapped, lights flashed and TV cameramen jockeyed for space as the couples made their way through the Webb Building's glassy atrium. People crowded thick around them, like a scene from the red carpet on Oscar night.

Standing by the door with their 5-year-old son, Jeremy, an hour later, Fran seemed overwhelmed by the events.

"I didn't know what to expect," she said of the clamor that surrounded their exchange of vows. "I just expected being with Anna."

Michael Kadovitz volunteered to help the Clerk and Recorder's office manage the crowd. He asked groups of them how they met, and whether they were planning honeymoons, stoking the already high spirits.

"I've been beaming all night," he said. "The vibe is joy, sheer joy. Everyone's excited, and proud. They should be proud."

One Colorado, an advocacy organization for gay, lesbian and transgender residents of the state, paid to have the government building open at midnight, as well as the use of the McNichols Building across the street for a dinner beforehand to celebrate.

As couples united after midnight, One Colorado's executive director, Brad Clark, said the evening was better than he could have hoped.

Anthony Aragon and David Westman have their picture taken during the "The Civil Soirée" at the McNichols Building in Civic Center, Denver, Colo., April 30, 2013. (Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post)

"What excitement people have after waiting decades for this night," he said. "It's overwhelming."

The excitement was palpable among the friends and family who gathered to witness.

"It's a proud night for my family," said Juan Moreno, who came to support his daughter, Hillary. "It's not right it took so long, because people shouldn't judge. Love is a hard enough thing to find."

The long line in front of the Wellington E. Webb building began forming at dusk, then swelled mightily when a celebratory dinner for 500 people let out across the street at about 10 p.m.

Though civil unions grant couples most of the same legal rights as marriage, Colorado voters banned same-sex marriages by approving a constitutional amendment in 2006.

Several speakers, including Hancock, said it's time for that to change. The U.S. Supreme Court could clear the way for that in its Defense of Marriage Act deliberations in June.

"We will not stop until our state residents ... have full marriage equality under the law," said Hancock, who received standing ovations at the beginning and end of his address to the crowd.

DeGette added, "It's way, way, way overdue."

DeGette is vice chair of the U.S. House of Representatives' LGBT Equality Caucus.

Among those in attendance at the pre-midnight ceremony was Robin Kniech, a Denver city councilwoman who is the first openly gay or lesbian member to be election to the City Council, and Debra Johnson, Denver's clerk and recorder.

Of Colorado's new civil-unions law that was then only hours away from taking effect, DeGette said, "We're going to fix one word in the statute, and that word is going to be wedding and marriage."

Dinner guest Matt Dominguez characterized the civil union and gam marriage fight as one for civil rights that is no different than those that came before.

"We shall overcome," he said.

Boulder County also was expected to hand out licenses at midnight. Other counties will start Wednesday morning.

Gov. John Hickenlooper signed state Senate Bill 11 into law on March 21. The new law allows same-sex — and heterosexual — couples to form civil unions, a legal bond that allows them many of the same rights granted traditional married couples.

Colorado joined eight states that have civil unions or similar laws. Nine states and the District of Columbia allow gay marriage.

Celebrations similar to Denver's were going on in Colorado Springs and Grand Junction Tuesday night.

Clerks in those counties will begin issuing licenses at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

A rally and organized group ceremony is planned in Pueblo Wednesday, starting at 11 a.m. on the steps of the Pueblo County Courthouse. The ceremony will be held inside the courthouse after the rally, said organizers with the Southern Colorado Equality Alliance.

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